It's a Long Dirt Road
by Highwind05
Summary: He never chose this life, and yet, the world is on his shoulders. Set in OoT, Link has been fighting for 8 years and is faced with doubts about his role as the Hero of Time. After one fateful night at LonLon Ranch, he must face his demons and live up to his destiny as the Hero of Time.
1. Chapter 1

**It's a Long Dirt Road**

'_No more, please.'_ The sword came crashing down onto his own creating a metallical clang as the steel blades screamed in unison. The blow left Link's hands numb and shaky, and he felt almost as if his arms were going to fall off. The dark figure in front of him towered over him with his large broadsword, glaring ominously into his eyes. Link raised his sword once more to fend away the strike. Again, the steel blades screeched in protest as the blow drove Link to his knees. He could barely lift his hands up to protect himself from the final blow as the figure etched closer. He knew he couldn't die. He knew it was over if he did, and yet he could not find the strength…

'Link! Link!' shouted a familiar voice, tugging at his arm. Link awoke in Malon's ranch on a stack of hay just beside the horses. He could see Epona in her stall, watching him and eating quietly. The barn was old and a smelled a little rancid, most likely from the manure not so far away from him. It was still dark outside from what he could tell through the open wooden windows. He breathed a sigh of relief. It was only a dream.

'You know, if you had just told me you were coming, I would've put you on a proper bed,' said Malon, folding her legs and sitting opposite Link. Link sat up despite his body's protests. He could feel a hole in his chest from where he blocked the Wolfos' claw with his shield and his head was still ringing a little from missing his hookshot and falling to the ground back at the forest temple. His back was still bugging him, but it had been like this ever since he started his journey. Nothing got better, things just got worse.

'Thanks Malon, I appreciate that,' he replied, grateful for Malon's kind offer. 'I'll be leaving soon.'

'Not until you've eaten something you won't,' she said, putting an arm on his shoulder. 'Come into the house when you're ready. We have eggs.' Link nodded, it had been a while since he last had eggs.

Link sat quietly down on Malon's kitchen table and took a swig of the LonLon milk next to him.

'Can I keep the bottle for the road?' he asked. Malon nodded as she piled some scrambled eggs onto his plate. Link could hear Talon's snores somewhere in the house booming across the hallway. The sun was slowly starting to get up now which meant that he had to be on his way.

'Where are you headed next?' she asked, sitting down next to him.

'I'm not sure, I'll most likely pay the Gorons a visit. I haven't seen them in a while.'

'Why don't you stay here for a while?' she said, holding Link's hand gently. 'You can take the guest room.' Link thought about it while eating the eggs. He could take a week off and just relax. He'd been fighting for 8 years now. Things weren't getting worse, but they weren't getting any better.

'You know I can't Malon. Hyrule's been shrouded in darkness for too long. Ganondorf is still controlling the castle.'

'But you never chose this life. Surely you can take a day off?' she said, her large green eyes beaming at him as the sun illuminated her rich brown hair. She was hard to resist when she was trying to be convincing. Link thought about setting out again, it would take him 3 or so days to get to the Gorons, minus any problems along the way. His chest was still hurting from the battle last night and he could really use a long bath.

Malon smiled as he nodded in agreement.

The two childhood friends took their horses out and rode them along the race track, pulling ahead of each other in an effort to emulate a race.

'It's crazy how much things have changed since I met you 8 years ago,' she said. 'We were both so young.'

Link stayed silent and thought to himself. He was still a green boy from Kokiri forest at the time. Never a thought in the world that Hyrule would plunge into the abyss, and that he would be chosen to save it.

'We're still pretty young,' murmured Link. He was only 21 this year, and she was only 20. 'We just feel old.'

'Speak for yourself,' she laughed. 'I'm still young.'

Link chuckled to himself. 'Sometimes I wish I never visited the Deku Tree.'

The two of them stopped trotting along.

'Why?' she asked staring at him intently.

'Maybe someone could've done a better job than me,' he said. 'Maybe someone could've saved us all by now.'

Malon rode up to him slowly and hugged him.

'No one could've, no one but you,' she whispered. 'You're the Hero of Time.'

Suddenly Link's eyes welled up with tears and he hugged Malon back. He spoke the words he'd been wanting to say for years now, thoughts that had been haunting him ever since this journey started. Words he dared not say in fear they were true. 'I don't think I can do it,' he said, pausing with a deep breath. 'I don't think I can save Hyrule.'

Malon stayed silent for a second and hugged him even tighter. 'Yes you can. You're the strongest person I know.' She kissed him gently on the cheek and hugged him again. 'You have me when you feel weak. All of us are here for you.'

Link breathed a huge sigh of relief out onto Malon's shoulders. They were words that had been weighing him down for years. He felt lighter just saying them. Malon brushed his golden hair away from his eyes with her fingers and smiled.

'Before you go saving the world again though, can you promise me one thing?' Link nodded, raising his eyebrows questioningly. 'Can you please take a bath?'

Although Malon offered him the guest room, he preferred to sleep by the side of Epona. It didn't feel right since they'd virtually slept with each other for years. Link lay on the same stack of hay as this morning, thinking aloud, or talking to Epona. Sometimes he'd consider it talking to Epona, sometimes he'd think of it as just talking to himself.

'When all of this is over one day, I'm going to buy a boat and live by the Zora's waterfall. I'm just going to fish and sleep.' Epona blinked a few times at him and continued eating her hay. 'Or maybe I'll rent an apartment at Death Mountain and go boulder skiing with the Gorons. Heck, that wouldn't be so bad would it. Or maybe I'll go back to the forest and just live in the hut again.'

Epona neighed.

'Hyrule? I don't know if that's the place for me. I mean there is Zelda…'

Epona neighed again.

'Shut up, I told you there's nothing going on between us. Yes, I know the last time I saw her was 8 years ago.'

Epona neighed again, This time with a clack of her teeth in the middle.

'Malon? I love her yes, but more as a sister.'

Epona snorted a little and turned away from him.

'Just because she raised you,' he laughed. He looked out the barn roof to stare at the stars. 'They're so calm and peaceful,' he said, drifting off to sleep.

He woke up suddenly to a scream. And another. And another. Link shot up off his resting place, grabbing his Hyrulian shield and Master Sword laying down beside him, sprinting to the house. He could feel his knees yell in pain as his tendons warmed up to the task. When he got there, the front door had been broken down and there were splatters of blood across the kitchen floor. Malon, he thought, sprinting to her room.

As he sprinted down the hallway he could see a trail of blood, he could feel his heart sink into his chest. He knocked away fallen furniture and broken belongings along the path, one of them being a picture of Malon on Epona, singing back when they were little. When he got there, he saw Talon sitting by the bed, bleeding profusely from a slash across his gut. He was still breathing and motioned for Link to come quickly as they made eye contact.

'Malon, they've got Malon,' he muttered, just as the life in his eyes faded away. Link closed Talon's eyelids and raced outside.

Once outside, Link heard further screams and screams of his name in the far distance. He saw three skeletors dragging Malon by the hair and holding her down, motioning for Link to come forward. A sudden warm surge of strength filled up in him, preparing him for battle and to protect his loved ones. Apart from the one holding Malon hostage, the two skeletors rushed at him with their bone daggers, leaving their chests wide open. Although they were big and intimidating, Skeletors weren't the best tactical fighters.

Link quickly pulled out his bow and notched an arrow on the fly, shooting it directly at the left skeletor. It hit him right in the chest and separated his rib cage from his pelvis, leaving him useless on the dirt floor, unable to move forward. By now, the other skeletor was too close for him to use his bow so he quickly replaced his bow in his back pack and unsheathed his sword. He felt their swords clang and the familiar feeling of vibration through his hand. As the skeletor came over the top in a wide arc, Link sidestepped out of the way and parried it away with his shield, leaving his sword arm free to cut at its' rib section. In three smooth slashes, Link had removed the skeletor's head and left its' body without a command centre. He turned his attention towards Malon.

The skeletor holding Malon grinned and clacked its' teeth as he motioned his blade across Malon's neck. Any attempts Link tried to make to get closer was met with an ominous fake slash of her neck.

'Just do it Link, don't worry about me!' she screamed. Link loved how brave this girl was, but he wasn't about to let her die. In the corner of his eye, he could see Epona edging quietly behind the skeletor, staring at Link intently.

'NOW!' he screamed, notching his bow and arrow just as Epona made her rush towards the Skeletor. Before it could respond, Epona had knocked it ten metres away from Malon, and just as it got up an arrow flew through its' skull, killing it immediately.

Link ran towards Malon who was on the floor, motionless. 'Malon?' He turned her over from her belly and saw that there was a deep gash along her neck. She was bleeding profusely and struggling to breathe. 'No, no, no, no!' screamed Link. He used his hands to stop the bleeding as best he could, but all he could feel was her life flowing warmly out of her neck. His hands felt like they were being coated in warm honey. Malon put her hand on his lap and squeezed weakly, as her eyes drew to a close.

'NO!' he screamed, refusing to accept what had just happened. 'Wait, WAIT!' he yelled. He opened his backpack and rummaged through his inventory. His hookshot, bow, boomerang were all useless and just in the way. Suddenly he found what he was looking for, a small bottle with a tiny pink light. He quickly opened the cork and let the little fairy fly out.

'Please, please heal her,' he said to it, pleading. The fairy flew towards Malon's cut and spun a couple of times around her. There was a big ray of light as the fairy performed its' magic. He could see the warmth of Malon's blood leaving his hands and moving back towards Malon's lifeless body, and her cut slowly beginning to mend. In one big blast of light, the fairy was gone.

Link sat there motionless, cradling Malon's body on his lap with Epona by his side. He could feel her breathing again, but it was all too close.

'Link…' she finally spoke. Link brushed her brown hair out of her eyes and breathed a sigh of relief.

'I thought I'd lost you,' he said.

'Me too,' she said. 'Where's dad?' Link shook his head solemnly. She closed her eyes for a moment and tears trickled down her cheeks.

'We have to go Malon,' Link said. 'They were after me. Ganondorf sent them.'

'I know,' she said. 'I saw them going towards you in the barn and attracted their attention.' Link squeezed her hand.

'Don't you ever do that again,' he said. 'You don't even know how to fight.'

'Dumb idea, hey?' she smiled. Link couldn't smile but helped Malon up on her feet. 'What do I do now, Link?'

'You're coming with me until I find you a safe place,' he said. 'You can't stay here anymore.' The both of them hopped onto Epona's back and began galloping out of Lon Lon Ranch. From afar, it still looked as if the farm was quiet and peaceful, just as it was two days ago. Malon did not look back, but Link could feel her chest tighten the further they went away from it. From afar he could still see where the house's door had been kicked down. He wasn't unfamiliar with this feeling of losing everything, but he knew this would be a first for Malon. And just as they left, he saw that more skeletors had appeared, setting the house ablaze, and as if that wasn't enough, he saw Talon's resurrected body now as a skeletor, waving his sword in the direction of the hero and his friend.

'Don't look back Malon,' he whispered, holding her close to him.


	2. Chapter 2

**On the Road**

Malon sat down quietly beside the fire that Link had built just now. The flames flickered proudly and brightly, chewing up the firewood from which it was born. Link was rummaging in his backpack for something furiously, scattering his boomerang, bow, hookshot and bottles all around the place.

'Just… how much can you fit into that backpack of yours?' she asked, bewildered by the amount of things coming out.

'Well… everything so far. Here, come take a look.' He threw her the backpack across the fire, making a dull thud when it landed. Malon peered into the backpack and was instantly taken aback. It was like a whole new world in there. There were shelves for storage of his weapons, a big chest she presumed that was for his rupees, some cages that he housed some chickens in and a little patch of dirt that had beans growing out of it.

'How is that even possible?' she laughed.

'Some fairies put an enchantment on it,' he said. 'It gets bigger the more I put into it.'

'Where can I get one of those?' she laughed. 'Or can I just have yours?'

Link walked over and took his backpack from her protectively. His blue eyes sneered at her. 'No. Never.'

'Just go get another one!' she insisted, trying to tug it from his grasp.

'Hey, watch out! The chickens aren't going to like that!' he replied, pulling his bag back. Malon laughed and sat down again by the fire.

'Relax, boofhead,' she said. 'I'm only kidding.' Link grinned at her and sat down beside her next to the fire. Her stomach grumbled suddenly. And again. And again.

'I'll get started on those chickens.'

Link licked his lips as he finished the last of his chicken leg off. They had rode hard for two days, stopping only for some dried fruits and berries that they could harvest along the way. They couldn't afford to camp around for too long, but by now the skeletors were too far behind to catch up.

'Ahhhhhh!' groaned Malon, tapping her belly triumphantly. 'I've never eaten that much in my life!'

'That's what happens when you're on the road for so long,' he replied. 'Get some sleep, we'll have to leave once the sun rises again.'

Malon sighed deeply, looking up to the stars. 'It's hard to imagine that we were at home two days ago.'

Link looked away and shifted uncomfortably. 'It's best we don't look back,' he said, grimly. 'Sometimes, it just makes everything harder.' Malon looked at her friend and nodded. After a brief pause, she spoke.

'So where are we headed again?'

'We're kind of in the middle of everything, Kakariko Village, Death Mountain or Kokiri Forest. The Zora's aren't far away either, but everything there is icy and cold.'

'Are you going to take me with you?' she asked. A chilly wind blew over them, rustling the trees surrounding and picking up a few dried leaves. The place looked so tranquil, yet in the distance she could see the ominous view the once grand Hyrule Castle.

'I'm going to drop you off somewhere safe before I continue again.'

'Where?'

'Kokiri Forest. It's safe there, the spirits will protect you and stop anything from coming in. You can even live in my hut.' Link turned his back to her and lied down on his side, his sword and shield resting between them. 'Now seriously, get some sleep.'

After another day of hard riding later, they finally arrived at the edge of the forest. Link dismounted abruptly, his man parts were so sore from the constant up and down motion of Epona's gait. He took a few ginger steps, then lied against a tree to hide his pain.

'Don't worry, Talon does the same thing,' she laughed. 'Well, did now. Wow, this place is amazing,' she said, changing the topic hastily. Kokiri forest was a vast sea of brown and green, with small trees, tall trees and even taller trees melding together to form one entity. The light seemed eerily green due to the sunlight radiating through the greenliness of the canopy. Malon admired the forest she would call home for a while, drinking in the view.

'Come on, we have to get to the village before it gets dark. Even though the evil spirits are gone now, the henchmen still stay behind. Ganondorf has been trying to reclaim this place.'

They continued into the forest on foot, with Epona trotting beside them. Their beast companion was visibly exhausted from their three day ride, taking a slower pace compared to the other two.

'How long do you think I'll be staying here?' Malon asked, her green eyes glimmering with the green of the forest.

'However long it takes,' said Link, solemnly. 'I don't know when this will end.'

'Okay,' she replied, trying not to sound sad. She knew any sadness in her voice would make Link feel guilty.

'I'm sorry,' Link said, walking ahead. 'If I hadn't come to your ranch, you would still be there right now. With your father.'

The words made Malon's heart sink. Somewhere deep down, she knew this was true, because although Ganondorf had now taken over Hyrule, he had never harmed them, so long as they didn't oppose him.

'No one could've controlled what happened,' she replied, unable to utter the words of forgiveness. 'What's done is done.'

Link continued walking ahead, silent. 'Besides,' she said, 'somebody told me not to look into the past.'

Night encompassed them like waves crashing onto a beach. It was rapid, unexpected and took them completely by surprise. Link looked up, the inviting greenish golden glow had now disappeared, and the dark blue shades of night taken over.

'This is bad,' he said, gravely. 'We're too far away.'

'How long left?' she asked, breathing heavily and taking a break. 'Can we take a break?'

'No,' he said, acutely. 'We have to keep moving. They'll find us if we stop.'

'Who?' Just as Malon finished her sentence, a bone-cringing howl pierced through the forest, shaking the leaves and bush around them. The howl brought chills to her bone, imparting a sense of dread and fear. She looked over to Link, whose face had now screwed up in concentration. He gestured for Epona to come closer.

'Malon, get on.' She did so obediently, then offered her hand to pull Link up. To her surprise Link pushed it away and looked at her sternly. 'Go straight and don't look back. You'll see a bridge once you've gone far enough. Once you get there, cross the bridge and you'll be safe. The spirits will protect you.'

'Aren't you coming with me?' she cried. 'You can't stay here by yourself!' She pulled on his back as hard as she could but Link did not budge. 'Come on, there's still time!' As if sensing their urgency, the howl shrieked again, but this time was accompanied by several others. One by one, yellow eyes began emerging from the bushes and from behind the trees. They were standing, almost zombie like with vicious claws and jaws. Their eyes were bloodshot and yellow, their bodies laced with muscle.

'Go, Epona!' he yelled, slapping the horse across her backside. 'The Wolfos' are here. I'll catch up later, go!' Epona galloped ahead obediently, taking Malon with her.

'Link!' was all she could say before Epona took her away. The last she saw, the vicious yellow eyes had begun surrounding Link, whose sword was drawn, ready to fight. Malon closed her eyes and wished for Link's safety as the Wolfos' continued to howl in the distance.


End file.
